Introverso di Langhe

Langhe 2013, Dolcetto, Silvio Grasso ($19.75, 12062081)100% Dolcetto from 15- to 20-year-old vines. Still not listed on the producer’s website. According to the Quebec agent, the farming leans “natural” (organic fertilizers, manual weed control) and the wine is fermented and macerated on the skins for four to five days and matured for seven to eight months, all in stainless steel tanks. Sulphur use is said to be low. 14% ABV per SAQ.com, 12% per the label. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Shy nose of earth, slate, sandalwood and plum skin with hints of raw red meat and blueberry yogurt. Equally restrained in the mouth: less vibrantly fruity than the San Luigi, quite dry and savoury. Sleek acidity lends a welcome brightness. The tannins seem quite tame until you vigorously chew the wine, at which point they gain a velevty rasp and add an astringent edge to the faintly bitter finish. Not a smiling wine, which is not to say dour but rather brooding, inward-looking. Passing through a closed phase? In any case, it’s as inscrutable as the 2012 was. (Buy again? A bottle or two to cellar for a few years?)